International Exhibition “Martynas Liudvikas Rėza”

Exhibition “Martynas Liudvikas Rėza” in Juodkrantė
We invite you to the opening of the international exhibition “Martynas Liudvikas Rėza”, dedicated to commemorating his 250th birth anniversary.
When: November 12, 2026 at 5 PM
Where: Liudviko Rėzos Culture Centre (L. Rėzos St. 8B, Juodkrantė).
The exhibition was prepared by the State Archives of Olsztyn and the State Historical Archives of Lithuania. The exhibition, supported by materials from Polish archives, has been translated into Lithuanian in collaboration with Lithuanian archives and is presented in Juodkrantė.
Martynas Liudvikas Rėza (1776–1840), born in the Curonian Spit village of Karvaičiai, was a professor at the University of Königsberg, a cultivator of Lithuanian language and culture. Thanks to his efforts, in 1818 the poem “Metai” by Kristijonas Donelaitis was published for the first time, and in 1825 the Lithuanian folk songs collection “Dainos”, compiled by him, appeared. Researcher Liucija Citavičiūtė considers his most important work for Lithuanians to be the Lithuanian Bible he prepared, whose translation he refined according to the Greek and Hebrew originals.
At the exhibition, visitors will see facsimiles of documents: lists of students at the University of Königsberg, in which Martynas Liudvikas Rėza is mentioned, student menus, and Rėza’s testament. Visitors will also learn which lectures he attended.
Exhibition curators – Cezary Rzepczyński and Ewelina Gołębiowska (State Archives of Olsztyn), Violeta Pansevič (State Historical Archives of Lithuania).